Bacon Fat Gingersnaps

By Julia Moskin

Bacon Fat Gingersnaps
Melina Hammer for The New York Times
Total Time
45 minutes, plus chilling time
Rating
4(1,064)
Comments
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The former New York Times fashion critic Cathy Horyn is also an accomplished home baker. (Not many of us food writers are also sleek fashion plates, so her kitchen prowess is all the more impressive.) This recipe is based on Swedish ginger cookies, a Scandinavian-American tradition in her hometown, Coshocton, Ohio, but it is also the cookie equivalent of a Chanel suit: updated, modern, but ultimately a familiar take on a classic.

The flavors are truly remarkable, with a robust and smoky-salty undertone that sets these apart from other gingersnaps. Make bacon for breakfast a couple of weekends in a row, strain the fat into a container, and refrigerate: you’ll soon save up enough for a double batch.

Featured in: A Christmas Quarrel

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Ingredients

Yield:3 to 4 dozen
  • ¾cup/150 grams rendered bacon fat (from cooking 1½ to 2 pounds bacon), chilled
  • 1cup/200 grams white sugar, plus extra for rolling
  • ¼cup/85 grams molasses or cane syrup
  • 1egg
  • 2cups/250 grams all-purpose flour
  • 1½teaspoons/8 grams kosher salt
  • 2teaspoons/10 grams baking soda
  • 2teaspoons/10 grams ground ginger
  • ½teaspoon/3 grams ground cloves
  • ½teaspoon/3 grams ground cinnamon
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (42 servings)

80 calories; 4 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 2 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 11 grams carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 6 grams sugars; 1 gram protein; 69 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or nonstick liners.

  2. Step 2

    In a food processor fitted with a metal blade, combine all ingredients. Pulse until a smooth, stiff dough forms. Wrap dough in plastic and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or up to 1 week.

  3. Step 3

    Put a thick layer of granulated sugar into a shallow bowl. Use your hands to break off a 1-tablespoon lump of dough and roll into a ball between your palms. Drop into the sugar, roll to coat and place on prepared pans. Repeat with remaining dough, placing dough balls 2 inches apart; they will spread out as they cook.

  4. Step 4

    Bake until flat and dark brown, about 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool on baking sheet for a few minutes, then transfer to a rack to finish cooling. Repeat with remaining dough. Store cookies in an airtight container.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
1,064 user ratings
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Comments

Canaan

Maybe step 1 shouldn't be to heat the oven, if you have to chill the dough for 2 hours.

Lynda Chitwood

These are just stupid good!! I was a bit short on bacon fat, so I evened it out with butter (just so no Vegan would ever touch them, haha).
I added a bit more ginger, and next time will do even more.
I saw someone else's note about using cardamom so I will be doing that too.
Just a deliciously different cookie!!

BTW...to all the other cooks who take the time to share their notes - THANK YOU!! They are all helpful.

Sailing Studio

Made two batches, the first following the recipe, and the second, replacing about half the bacon fat with butter, and adding about a tablespoon of finely diced fresh ginger. Prefer the second batch: the first was amazing, but a little overwhelmed by bacon, and had a slight fatty aftertaste (described by another reviewer). The second had a cleaner, fresher taste, a bit more ginger zing.

Susie

I measured all by volume. They were too short for my taste. Also too salty. Baked well and tasty. Going to play with this—maybe go by weight or just take fat to 1/2 c and salt to 1 t. Still a yummy idea.

Andrea

The dough didn't hold together whatsoever, even (especially?) after two hours of chilling. I added two eggs, but obviously that makes a different cookie.

Seazel

This was so much fun to make on Christmas Eve! Made a ton of bacon for breakfast and went right into making cookies while watching the best Christmas Movies :). Perfect mix of crispy and chewy with perfect holiday spices. Next time I want to try cooking 3/4 way and adding Demerara (or just more) sugar on top.

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